God has made us male and female, and there is a natural, God-given chemistry between the sexes. When both husband and wife understand their biblical roles and function in them within the context of a committed, permanent marriage relationship, that chemistry releases wonderful emotions for one another that God intended for us to enjoy.
First, let us look at the role of a husband. Ephesians 5:25 says, 25” Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” The Greek word for “love” in this verse is the word agape, which is a word that is used in the Bible to define God Himself. “God is love (agape), and he who abides in love (agape) abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16b). Agape has it source in God, and husbands can love their wives in this way only if that love is produced in them supernaturally by the Holy Spirit.
It is my opinion that most of our relational problems today stem from the fact that husbands have not loved their wives properly. It is a fearful thought to think that one day I will be judged by God on how well I loved my wife. What makes this quite fearful is the fact that my judgment will be compared to Jesus’ love for the church, not to my next door neighbor’s love for his wife. Even as I think about it now, I have to cry out for mercy.
It is a serious act to enter into a covenant with another person. A wife is to be the object of the strongest, most creative force in the universe, agape love, the same love that Jesus Christ has for His bride, the church. Here are some characteristics of agape love.
First of all, agape love is unconditional. This means that it is a “love without reason”, not conditioned on any behavior or quality of the loved-one. Did not Jesus show His love for His church by dying for us while we were still lost (Romans 5:8), dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and totally depraved with no reason for God to love us with ourselves (Romans 17:8)? Yes, he did. This is the way Christ loved the church, and that is the way husbands are to love their wives.
This love is not, “I love you if…(you are sweet, you do things for me, you do what I say, you look pretty, you are intelligent, and you are thin). Those types of love are not love at all, but indicate a selfishness that is really saying, not, “I love you,” but “I want you and love me!”
No, agape love is “I love you in spite of…(your attitude, what you do for me, your attention to my needs, your looks and intelligence). It is a love so strong that you cannot resist it, nor can you do any thing to cause me to withdraw it, and it will capture your heart.
Secondly, agape love initiates. Jesus committed Himself to us on the cross in His humanity, without the guarantee that anyone would respond to his selfless act of love. In fact, he knew his closest friends would deny Him on the way to the cross. Romans 3:11 says, “There is no one who seeks God.” Jesus came after us when we didn’t want anything to do with him. In like manner, the man is the pursuer, the aggressor, the lover. He is the initiator, committing himself first in his love relationship with his wife.
Finally, agape love is sacrificial. Jesus is our perfect pattern for our task as servant-leaders in our families. Matthew 20:28 says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus did not please Himself, but continually gave His life away for others, culminating in that final great act of service, literally laying down His life voluntarily on the cross for His church. Men, this is our pattern of sacrificial love for our wives.
True joy and fulfillment comes from loving, and not being loved. After being married for almost ten years, I have found this to be so true.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Family Matters Humor
I thought you might enjoy some marriage humor before we dig deeper into Family Matters. God bless and stay tuned for The Role of a Husband.
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee." The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee." Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee." Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me." So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says........."HEBREWS"
THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said:
"It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee." The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee." Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee." Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me." So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says........."HEBREWS"
THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said:
"It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Family Matters
After my Mother's Day message, I had an interesting conversation with a good friend of mine. This gentleman grew up in a particular sect of Christianity that never emphasized the blessing of having children. He said, "If my wife and I had been attending your church when we were younger, we would have probably had more children." I must admit that I was surprised to hear he had never heard this preached in his church. Since family is one of our core values in Every Nation, I guess I assumed everyone feels like we do about the dominion mandate (Genesis 1:28).
This conversation got me thinking about the reality of what is being taught in our pulpits today. As I pondered this further, I began to become deeply concerned about the lack of Bible knowledge people possess when it involves the topic of family. This was confirmed to me today by another conversation with a lady after our service. My sermon topic was called "The Role of a Husband and a Wife."
As I always do after church, I was standing at the entrance/exit door of our facility to shake hands with people as they were leaving the service. I recognized this particular lady as a first time attendee and began to engage in a conversation with her. She was very complimentary of the message she had just heard. I enjoyed meeting her and thanked her for her kind words. Then she said this statement, "My husband and I had no business getting married." In other words, she was communicating to me that they did not have a clue about their roles and responsibilities as a husband and wife when they got married. Sadly, I know this is true for most people who get married in our society today.
Family is the first institution God created, and it is primarily through the family that God intends to accomplish his purposes on planet earth. Unfortunately, we have lived with the devastating results from the breakdown of our families in the 21st century. History has proven that good intentions are not enough to produce a healthy marriage. We must understand God's intentions for us in this divine institution if we are going to build healthy marriages.
If we are going to change the world, we must have strong and godly families. Our future hope for a better world begins in our homes. Over the next couple of weeks I am going to blog on Family Matters. Starting on Wednesday, May 31st, I will be writing on such topics as the role of a husband, characteristics of godly leadership in husbands, the role of a wife, misconceptions of submission, and hindrances to submission.
Please stay tuned. I will try to e-mail a new blog on these topics every three to four days until they are done. I appreciate everyone who reads my blogs. I hope you share my passion for family, and take the time to make sure you have an understanding of your roles and responsibilities in marriage. The majority of the points and thoughts come from Robert Andrew's book "The Family, God's Weapon for Victory." I have included some of my thoughts and experiences from nearly ten years of being married and sixteen years of studying the Bible on these topics. God bless and remember Family Matters.
This conversation got me thinking about the reality of what is being taught in our pulpits today. As I pondered this further, I began to become deeply concerned about the lack of Bible knowledge people possess when it involves the topic of family. This was confirmed to me today by another conversation with a lady after our service. My sermon topic was called "The Role of a Husband and a Wife."
As I always do after church, I was standing at the entrance/exit door of our facility to shake hands with people as they were leaving the service. I recognized this particular lady as a first time attendee and began to engage in a conversation with her. She was very complimentary of the message she had just heard. I enjoyed meeting her and thanked her for her kind words. Then she said this statement, "My husband and I had no business getting married." In other words, she was communicating to me that they did not have a clue about their roles and responsibilities as a husband and wife when they got married. Sadly, I know this is true for most people who get married in our society today.
Family is the first institution God created, and it is primarily through the family that God intends to accomplish his purposes on planet earth. Unfortunately, we have lived with the devastating results from the breakdown of our families in the 21st century. History has proven that good intentions are not enough to produce a healthy marriage. We must understand God's intentions for us in this divine institution if we are going to build healthy marriages.
If we are going to change the world, we must have strong and godly families. Our future hope for a better world begins in our homes. Over the next couple of weeks I am going to blog on Family Matters. Starting on Wednesday, May 31st, I will be writing on such topics as the role of a husband, characteristics of godly leadership in husbands, the role of a wife, misconceptions of submission, and hindrances to submission.
Please stay tuned. I will try to e-mail a new blog on these topics every three to four days until they are done. I appreciate everyone who reads my blogs. I hope you share my passion for family, and take the time to make sure you have an understanding of your roles and responsibilities in marriage. The majority of the points and thoughts come from Robert Andrew's book "The Family, God's Weapon for Victory." I have included some of my thoughts and experiences from nearly ten years of being married and sixteen years of studying the Bible on these topics. God bless and remember Family Matters.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
The Heart of Worship
In Genesis 22:5 Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then will come back to you.” The first time worship is mentioned in the Bible is right before Abraham is about to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord. God said to Abraham in Genesis 22:2, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you.”
Abraham went to the place God told him, built an altar, arranged the wood on it, and then bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. As he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, the angel of the Lord called out to him. In Genesis 22:12 the angel of the Lord told Abraham, “Do not lay a hand on the boy.” “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham earned a special place in history among God’s people because he was willing to give the Lord his best offering. How was Abraham able to offer his son, who he didn’t receive until he was an old man, as an offering to the Lord? Abraham was able to give his best offering because he had a heart of worship. The true heart of worship is giving God your best.
Throughout history, one of the main indicators of a people doomed for destruction is when they stopped giving God their best offering. We see this trait from the very beginning of man’s existence. Genesis 4:3-5 says, In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, (5) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast."
The fat portions represented the best part of the animal, and the firstborn represented the best of the flock. Notice the difference between the brother’s sacrifice. Cain gave “some” of his fruits and Abel gave the best of his flock. The Lord was only pleased with one of the offerings.
Notice also how Cain responded to the Lord’s rejection of his offering. He was angry, and his face was downcast. Receiving God’s favor and pleasing him is the key to our joy and inner peace. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus gave his best, his own life as an offering, and was full of joy even though he was destined for the cross.
In the 21st century, your time and money represent what kind of offering you give to God? Time and money, more than anything else, reflect your heart. Are you giving him “some” or your best? If you are living according to God’s will and giving him your best, then you are a true worshiper of God.
I will leave you with Hebrews 10:5-7 on what kind of offering God desires today.
(5) Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; (6) with burnt offering and sin offerings you were not pleased. (7) Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.’”
May God's joy mark your journey as you worship, obey his will, and give him your best.
Abraham went to the place God told him, built an altar, arranged the wood on it, and then bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. As he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son, the angel of the Lord called out to him. In Genesis 22:12 the angel of the Lord told Abraham, “Do not lay a hand on the boy.” “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham earned a special place in history among God’s people because he was willing to give the Lord his best offering. How was Abraham able to offer his son, who he didn’t receive until he was an old man, as an offering to the Lord? Abraham was able to give his best offering because he had a heart of worship. The true heart of worship is giving God your best.
Throughout history, one of the main indicators of a people doomed for destruction is when they stopped giving God their best offering. We see this trait from the very beginning of man’s existence. Genesis 4:3-5 says, In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, (5) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast."
The fat portions represented the best part of the animal, and the firstborn represented the best of the flock. Notice the difference between the brother’s sacrifice. Cain gave “some” of his fruits and Abel gave the best of his flock. The Lord was only pleased with one of the offerings.
Notice also how Cain responded to the Lord’s rejection of his offering. He was angry, and his face was downcast. Receiving God’s favor and pleasing him is the key to our joy and inner peace. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus gave his best, his own life as an offering, and was full of joy even though he was destined for the cross.
In the 21st century, your time and money represent what kind of offering you give to God? Time and money, more than anything else, reflect your heart. Are you giving him “some” or your best? If you are living according to God’s will and giving him your best, then you are a true worshiper of God.
I will leave you with Hebrews 10:5-7 on what kind of offering God desires today.
(5) Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; (6) with burnt offering and sin offerings you were not pleased. (7) Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.’”
May God's joy mark your journey as you worship, obey his will, and give him your best.
Monday, May 15, 2006
My Three Sons
Hebrews 1:3, 5 says, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being sustaining all things by his powerful word. (5) For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Savior'?"
The greatest revelation we can have of God is that of a Father. Jesus Christ, as God's Son, came to earth to reveal the Father and do his work. When we gaze upon Jesus, we see the glory of God.
Noah William Miller was born around 1:30pm on Wednesday. He weighed in at 7 lbs 5 ounces. He is 21 inches longs and has a 13.5 inch chest. Guess what? He looks like his father. When you gaze upon Noah you see the glory of his dad.
Cindy had a classical c-section. She is in some pain, but overall doing just fine. She is the love of my life and my hero. You would have been so proud of her courage. The doctors said the day could not have gone any better. Praise God!
I am glowing with the joy of being a new dad for the third time. The third time is truly a charm. I have cried tears of joy and thankfulness at the birth of all three of my sons. I am always reminded in those moments how God rejoices over those who get born again by His Spirit, and become children in His kingdom. What an awesome God we serve.
James 1:17-18 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (18) He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."
Thank you for your love and your prayers. We felt so covered in both of them. We love our spiritual family. Our parents have been a huge help and blessing. We love our parents.
I thank God my Father, who loves to express himself through family, for giving me his good and perfect gifts of salvation, Cindy, Josiah, Ethan, Noah, our spiritual family, and our parents.
The greatest revelation we can have of God is that of a Father. Jesus Christ, as God's Son, came to earth to reveal the Father and do his work. When we gaze upon Jesus, we see the glory of God.
Noah William Miller was born around 1:30pm on Wednesday. He weighed in at 7 lbs 5 ounces. He is 21 inches longs and has a 13.5 inch chest. Guess what? He looks like his father. When you gaze upon Noah you see the glory of his dad.
Cindy had a classical c-section. She is in some pain, but overall doing just fine. She is the love of my life and my hero. You would have been so proud of her courage. The doctors said the day could not have gone any better. Praise God!
I am glowing with the joy of being a new dad for the third time. The third time is truly a charm. I have cried tears of joy and thankfulness at the birth of all three of my sons. I am always reminded in those moments how God rejoices over those who get born again by His Spirit, and become children in His kingdom. What an awesome God we serve.
James 1:17-18 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (18) He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."
Thank you for your love and your prayers. We felt so covered in both of them. We love our spiritual family. Our parents have been a huge help and blessing. We love our parents.
I thank God my Father, who loves to express himself through family, for giving me his good and perfect gifts of salvation, Cindy, Josiah, Ethan, Noah, our spiritual family, and our parents.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Happy Mother's Day
She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family. Proverbs 31:15 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (28) Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:27-28
I am so thankful that God has blessed me with a wonderful mother. Her unconditional love and sacrifice to care, nourish and nurture me as a young child was so amazing. Mothers have the unique ability to make a house a home. There is no one who can do this like a mother.
As many of you know, we just recently gave birth to our third son. True to her caring nature, my mom is helping at our house as Cindy recovers from a classical c-section. One of the ways she is helping is by cooking meals. My mom is a great cook. I was telling her the other day how much I enjoy the Burgandy Poppy Seed dressing from Manna's restaurant. So, what does my mom do? She made a special trip to Manna's and bought me the salad dressing. Then she came over to our house and made me my favorite salad. That night I got to eat a great salad with my newly discovered dressing. All this was made possible by the love of a mother.
There are few assignments in human experience that require the array of skills and wisdom needed by a mom in fulfilling her everyday duties. She must be a resident psychologist, physician, theologian, educator, nurse, chef, taxi driver, fire marshal, and occasional police officer. And if she succeeds in each of these responsibilities, she gets to do it all again tomorrow.
Listen how Apostle Paul, Silas and Timothy describe their ministry to the church at Thessalonica. "As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, (7) but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. (8) We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. (9) Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." 1 Thessalonians 2:6b-9
To mother is to nurture, to train, to educate, to rear. We mother each other when we offer our concern, our care, our comfort. We mother each other when we see a need and rise to meet it whether it is a jacket for a friend who is chilly, a meal for a struggling family, or a listening ear for a friend who is hurting.
I want every mother to know how much you are valued and how much you are appreciated. Motherhood is truly a high and holy calling. Mothers, we love you. Thank you for walking so worthy of your calling. I will leave you with a great poem on how God the Father cares for us like a loving mother.
Oh gently lay your head
Upon my Chest
And I will comfort you like a Mother while you rest.
The tide can change so fast
But I will stay
The same through Past, the same in Future,
Same Today.
Oh weary, tired and worn
Let out your sighs
And drop that heavy load you hold
Cuz Mine is light.
I know you through and through
There’s no need to hide.
I want to show you love that is deep and high and wide.
For I am constant.
I am near.
I am peace that shatters all your secret fears.
I am holy.
I am wise.
I’m the only One, who knows your heart’s desires.
Oh gently lay your head upon My chest
And I will comfort you like a Mother while you rest. Jill Phillip, “I AM”
I am so thankful that God has blessed me with a wonderful mother. Her unconditional love and sacrifice to care, nourish and nurture me as a young child was so amazing. Mothers have the unique ability to make a house a home. There is no one who can do this like a mother.
As many of you know, we just recently gave birth to our third son. True to her caring nature, my mom is helping at our house as Cindy recovers from a classical c-section. One of the ways she is helping is by cooking meals. My mom is a great cook. I was telling her the other day how much I enjoy the Burgandy Poppy Seed dressing from Manna's restaurant. So, what does my mom do? She made a special trip to Manna's and bought me the salad dressing. Then she came over to our house and made me my favorite salad. That night I got to eat a great salad with my newly discovered dressing. All this was made possible by the love of a mother.
There are few assignments in human experience that require the array of skills and wisdom needed by a mom in fulfilling her everyday duties. She must be a resident psychologist, physician, theologian, educator, nurse, chef, taxi driver, fire marshal, and occasional police officer. And if she succeeds in each of these responsibilities, she gets to do it all again tomorrow.
Listen how Apostle Paul, Silas and Timothy describe their ministry to the church at Thessalonica. "As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, (7) but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. (8) We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. (9) Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." 1 Thessalonians 2:6b-9
To mother is to nurture, to train, to educate, to rear. We mother each other when we offer our concern, our care, our comfort. We mother each other when we see a need and rise to meet it whether it is a jacket for a friend who is chilly, a meal for a struggling family, or a listening ear for a friend who is hurting.
I want every mother to know how much you are valued and how much you are appreciated. Motherhood is truly a high and holy calling. Mothers, we love you. Thank you for walking so worthy of your calling. I will leave you with a great poem on how God the Father cares for us like a loving mother.
Oh gently lay your head
Upon my Chest
And I will comfort you like a Mother while you rest.
The tide can change so fast
But I will stay
The same through Past, the same in Future,
Same Today.
Oh weary, tired and worn
Let out your sighs
And drop that heavy load you hold
Cuz Mine is light.
I know you through and through
There’s no need to hide.
I want to show you love that is deep and high and wide.
For I am constant.
I am near.
I am peace that shatters all your secret fears.
I am holy.
I am wise.
I’m the only One, who knows your heart’s desires.
Oh gently lay your head upon My chest
And I will comfort you like a Mother while you rest. Jill Phillip, “I AM”
Thursday, May 04, 2006
What does it take to save the World? (Part 3)
Whether its terroists trying to kill the president, activate a nuclear bomb on US soil, unleash a deadly virus or meltdown a nuclear power plant, a significant part of the plot of "24" is that there is an enemy who wants to kill and destroy. Many people are currently enjoying season 5 of "24". There are five seasons for a reason. In the last hour of the last show of each season, Jack wins. Somehow he prevents the enemy from accomplishing his ultimate goal.
1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." One of the characteristics I love about the Bible is that it addresses the reality of our situation here on planet earth. We have an enemy who wants to kill us. His name is Satan and he is the devil. The Bible doesn't promise a belief system that creates a perfect world. One of the things it teaches us is how to deal with evil.
The movies we hold dear to our hearts borrow from the plot of the Bible. Because of His great love for the church, our hero Jesus rescues us from the devil, and takes us on a great adventure to make disciples in all the world. Every story that moves us emotionally contains these essential parts in their story line. The story line includes a hero, an enemy, someone who needs to be rescued, a love story and a great adventure.
Take the movie Forrest Gump as an example. Forrest is the hero trying to save Jenny who needs to be rescued. The enemies are the men in her life. Forrest unconditionally loves Jenny, and Forrest lives a great adventure in his pursuit to capture her heart.
Jack Bauer is a great hero to the faithful viewers of "24" because he is so willing to sacrifice his life for the cause of saving the world. Once again, this is a borrowed plot from the Bible. Jesus said in John 10:10-11, "The thief (devil) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (11) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (church).
On the show "24", I love how Jack Bauer uses many weapons to defeat the enemy. His weapons include the lastest in computer technology and a wide array of firearms. The simple fact about Jack is that he can use weapons and technology better than his enemy.
I find it so interesting when I examine the weapon Jesus used to defeat the devil, the greatest emeny mankind has ever known. Jesus used a cross. Colossians 2:13-15 says, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14) having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (15) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
The Romans, through torture, had perfected capital punishment by using the cross. The cross was the place were criminals and the despised of society were sent. It was an instrument of suffering that assisted in executing the sentence of death. It was truly a curse to hang on a cross. The devil's favorite instrument of death on planet earth was the cross before the arrival of Jesus.
Only God could take such a heinous instrument and use it for something good. When Jesus hung on the cross he took the curse of sin and death on himself, and gave us righteousness and life. What a great exchange. Amazing! Jesus used the least likely weapon for good, the cross, to trick the devil and defeat him.
This is the final proof that Jesus is God. He took the devil's favorite instrument of suffering and death and used it to bring forgiveness, salvation, life and righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." It took the cross of Christ to save the world.
The cross symbolizes a cosmic as well as historic truth. Love conquers the world, but its victory is not an easy one. Reinhold Niebuhr
1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." One of the characteristics I love about the Bible is that it addresses the reality of our situation here on planet earth. We have an enemy who wants to kill us. His name is Satan and he is the devil. The Bible doesn't promise a belief system that creates a perfect world. One of the things it teaches us is how to deal with evil.
The movies we hold dear to our hearts borrow from the plot of the Bible. Because of His great love for the church, our hero Jesus rescues us from the devil, and takes us on a great adventure to make disciples in all the world. Every story that moves us emotionally contains these essential parts in their story line. The story line includes a hero, an enemy, someone who needs to be rescued, a love story and a great adventure.
Take the movie Forrest Gump as an example. Forrest is the hero trying to save Jenny who needs to be rescued. The enemies are the men in her life. Forrest unconditionally loves Jenny, and Forrest lives a great adventure in his pursuit to capture her heart.
Jack Bauer is a great hero to the faithful viewers of "24" because he is so willing to sacrifice his life for the cause of saving the world. Once again, this is a borrowed plot from the Bible. Jesus said in John 10:10-11, "The thief (devil) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (11) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (church).
On the show "24", I love how Jack Bauer uses many weapons to defeat the enemy. His weapons include the lastest in computer technology and a wide array of firearms. The simple fact about Jack is that he can use weapons and technology better than his enemy.
I find it so interesting when I examine the weapon Jesus used to defeat the devil, the greatest emeny mankind has ever known. Jesus used a cross. Colossians 2:13-15 says, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14) having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (15) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
The Romans, through torture, had perfected capital punishment by using the cross. The cross was the place were criminals and the despised of society were sent. It was an instrument of suffering that assisted in executing the sentence of death. It was truly a curse to hang on a cross. The devil's favorite instrument of death on planet earth was the cross before the arrival of Jesus.
Only God could take such a heinous instrument and use it for something good. When Jesus hung on the cross he took the curse of sin and death on himself, and gave us righteousness and life. What a great exchange. Amazing! Jesus used the least likely weapon for good, the cross, to trick the devil and defeat him.
This is the final proof that Jesus is God. He took the devil's favorite instrument of suffering and death and used it to bring forgiveness, salvation, life and righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." It took the cross of Christ to save the world.
The cross symbolizes a cosmic as well as historic truth. Love conquers the world, but its victory is not an easy one. Reinhold Niebuhr
Sunday, April 23, 2006
What does it take to save the World? (Part 2)
Whether its Jack Bauer's ability to interrogate, his special weapons skills, his mental toughness and physical endurance, his perseverance to function at a high level without sleep, his tactical expertise, his ability to navigate through the bureaucracy of the CTU, or his willingness to die for the cause, Jack has proven season after season that he is qualified for the job.
If someone was going to claim to be God, they would have to be able to prove it with some overwhelming evidence. In John 15:11 Jesus said, "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." What miracles did Jesus do? He turned water into wine, healed people of their diseases and deformities, raised people from the dead, fed the multitudes on two fishes and five loaves of bread, cast demons out of people, walked on water, calmed storms, preached with authority, and lived a sinless life. Aposle John said, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written (John 21:25).
Incredible! However, to me the greatest evidence that Jesus is God is his resurrection after his death. Lord Caldecote, former Chief Justice of England said, "The claims of Jesus Christ, namely his resurrection, has led me as often as I have tried to examine the evidence to believe it as a fact beyond dispute."
Not even the magicians David Blaine or David Copperfield would think about attempting such a feat. Could you imagine them having a show where they invited the audience to bring their favorite weapon of death. They would never say, "Kill me audience and after three days I will rise from the dead." That is insane. Death is the great equalizer. It reminds everyone of us that we are mortal and that we have limitations. If you play with death, you lose.
We know from our law system that in order to prove your case, you must have credible witnesses. The testimonies of the witnesses is the major part of the evidence. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Apostle Paul says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (5) and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (6) After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (7) Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, (8) and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Wow! There were over 500 witnesses to Jesus' resurrection.
Apostle Paul goes on to write in 1 Corinthians 15:14-15, 30-32, "(14) And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (15) More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. (30) And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? (31) I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. (32) If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
Not only did Apostle Paul preach about the resurrection of Jesus, he was willing to be executed for his message and faith. Apostle Paul was so convinced that Jesus' resurrection was real, he could face death without fear. He said if there is no resurrection, then we have no hope after death. And if we have no hope after death, then we might as well try to eat and drink our troubles away. I find it interesting that many Americans are living like this today.
Jesus' miracles, his witnesses, and most of all his ability to conquer death, proves to all with overwhelming evidence that he is God. He hung upon the cross, the Roman's favorite instrument of death, and conquered the two things that have kept humanity in bondage and fear--sin and death. I will leave you with a quote from G.B. Hardy about the resurrection of Jesus:
"There are but two essential requirements: first: Has any one cheated death and proved it? Second: Is it available to me? Here is the complete record. Confucius’tomb—occupied, Buddha’s tomb—occupied, Mohammed’s tomb—occupied, Jesus’ tomb—empty. Argue as you will. There is no point in following a loser."
If someone was going to claim to be God, they would have to be able to prove it with some overwhelming evidence. In John 15:11 Jesus said, "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." What miracles did Jesus do? He turned water into wine, healed people of their diseases and deformities, raised people from the dead, fed the multitudes on two fishes and five loaves of bread, cast demons out of people, walked on water, calmed storms, preached with authority, and lived a sinless life. Aposle John said, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written (John 21:25).
Incredible! However, to me the greatest evidence that Jesus is God is his resurrection after his death. Lord Caldecote, former Chief Justice of England said, "The claims of Jesus Christ, namely his resurrection, has led me as often as I have tried to examine the evidence to believe it as a fact beyond dispute."
Not even the magicians David Blaine or David Copperfield would think about attempting such a feat. Could you imagine them having a show where they invited the audience to bring their favorite weapon of death. They would never say, "Kill me audience and after three days I will rise from the dead." That is insane. Death is the great equalizer. It reminds everyone of us that we are mortal and that we have limitations. If you play with death, you lose.
We know from our law system that in order to prove your case, you must have credible witnesses. The testimonies of the witnesses is the major part of the evidence. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Apostle Paul says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (5) and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (6) After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. (7) Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, (8) and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. Wow! There were over 500 witnesses to Jesus' resurrection.
Apostle Paul goes on to write in 1 Corinthians 15:14-15, 30-32, "(14) And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (15) More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. (30) And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? (31) I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. (32) If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
Not only did Apostle Paul preach about the resurrection of Jesus, he was willing to be executed for his message and faith. Apostle Paul was so convinced that Jesus' resurrection was real, he could face death without fear. He said if there is no resurrection, then we have no hope after death. And if we have no hope after death, then we might as well try to eat and drink our troubles away. I find it interesting that many Americans are living like this today.
Jesus' miracles, his witnesses, and most of all his ability to conquer death, proves to all with overwhelming evidence that he is God. He hung upon the cross, the Roman's favorite instrument of death, and conquered the two things that have kept humanity in bondage and fear--sin and death. I will leave you with a quote from G.B. Hardy about the resurrection of Jesus:
"There are but two essential requirements: first: Has any one cheated death and proved it? Second: Is it available to me? Here is the complete record. Confucius’tomb—occupied, Buddha’s tomb—occupied, Mohammed’s tomb—occupied, Jesus’ tomb—empty. Argue as you will. There is no point in following a loser."
Monday, April 17, 2006
What does it take to save the World?
At Every Nation Tallahassee we have started a three week series based on the TV show "24". The title of the series is, "What does it take to save the World?" On Easter sunday, I started the series with a message titled "The Right Man." I believe it takes the right man to save the world.
If you are looking to deactivate a nuclear bomb on US soil, you better call on Jack Bauer. If you are looking to save yourself from sin and death, you better call on Jesus Christ. Both Jack and Jesus are highly qualified for the jobs they do. Jack's experience in CTU, his education and military training have more than prepared him for his job. Jesus' Godly pedigree makes him the only one capable of saving us from sin and death.
Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus in this way, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Colossians 1:15 says this about Jesus, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." As God's son, Jesus has the most unique blood type in the history of the world. Blood identifies, as much as anything else, who a person really is.
Hebrews 9:22 says, "The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." God taught his people in the Old Testament that in order to be temporarily cleansed of their sins, it would require the sacrifice of their best livestock. Year after year they had to continually offer sacrifices to God for their sins.
John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus, described him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus came as a man to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins once and for all. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and defect."
While at FSU on a basketball scholarship, I had a teammate contract a rare virus. This guy was a physical specimen. He was 6'8", weighed 260 lbs and had only 5% body fat. He could run like a deer and jump out of the gym. It was quite shocking to watch him barely walk with the assistance of a cane. This virus had made him very frail. As his body would weaken throughout the month, he would have to go to the hospital for a blood transfusion. After the transfusion, he would have a new source of energy. It was like he got new life once a month. He eventually recovered from the virus.
In a more permanent way, Jesus' blood gives us new life. When we are filled with His Spirit and washed in his blood, we are clean, free and empowered to love and serve him the way Jesus intended. His blood changes us because it has eternal power and his divine nature in it.
Hebrews 9:12-14 says this, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (13) The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. (14) How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
I agree with Edward Mote who once said, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Jesus is the only man to walk on planet earth with a Godly pedigree and it is his blood that is heaven's key. Jesus' blood proves he is the right man to save the world from sin and death. I pray that Jesus would give his people a fresh transfusion.
If you are looking to deactivate a nuclear bomb on US soil, you better call on Jack Bauer. If you are looking to save yourself from sin and death, you better call on Jesus Christ. Both Jack and Jesus are highly qualified for the jobs they do. Jack's experience in CTU, his education and military training have more than prepared him for his job. Jesus' Godly pedigree makes him the only one capable of saving us from sin and death.
Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus in this way, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Colossians 1:15 says this about Jesus, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." As God's son, Jesus has the most unique blood type in the history of the world. Blood identifies, as much as anything else, who a person really is.
Hebrews 9:22 says, "The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." God taught his people in the Old Testament that in order to be temporarily cleansed of their sins, it would require the sacrifice of their best livestock. Year after year they had to continually offer sacrifices to God for their sins.
John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus, described him as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus came as a man to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins once and for all. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and defect."
While at FSU on a basketball scholarship, I had a teammate contract a rare virus. This guy was a physical specimen. He was 6'8", weighed 260 lbs and had only 5% body fat. He could run like a deer and jump out of the gym. It was quite shocking to watch him barely walk with the assistance of a cane. This virus had made him very frail. As his body would weaken throughout the month, he would have to go to the hospital for a blood transfusion. After the transfusion, he would have a new source of energy. It was like he got new life once a month. He eventually recovered from the virus.
In a more permanent way, Jesus' blood gives us new life. When we are filled with His Spirit and washed in his blood, we are clean, free and empowered to love and serve him the way Jesus intended. His blood changes us because it has eternal power and his divine nature in it.
Hebrews 9:12-14 says this, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (13) The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. (14) How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
I agree with Edward Mote who once said, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Jesus is the only man to walk on planet earth with a Godly pedigree and it is his blood that is heaven's key. Jesus' blood proves he is the right man to save the world from sin and death. I pray that Jesus would give his people a fresh transfusion.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Serving: The Antidote for Selfishness
(33)“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, (34) who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” Mark 10:33-34
In this passage of scripture Jesus is explaining to his disciples the type of death he would suffer and how he would rise again to life. You would think that they would have been sympathetic and compassionate to Jesus. They should have been burdened with the fact that the one they had left all to follow was about to die. It seems logical that they would ask Jesus if there was something they could have done for him. If nothing else, they should have been more inquisitive about Jesus rising from the dead.
Instead, listen to the request of James and John in Mark 10:35-37. (35) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” (36) What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. (37) They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
Amazing! Someone tells you they are about to be killed and you make a selfish request. This is exactly what James and John did. Based upon their request, I don’t think they even heard a word of what Jesus had said to them. Sure, they listened, but did they really hear? When you think only about yourself, you are deaf and blind to the needs of those around you. Serving is one of the ways we get selfishness out of our lives.
Many of you know I have two boys, Josiah (5) and Ethan (3). Because they are the only grandchildren in the Miller and Milbuta families, they are blessed with many toys. Every morning, without exception, they fight over one toy. Whatever toy Josiah has, Ethan wants. Whatever toy Ethan has, Josiah wants. Their disputes remind me that selfishness is a sign of immaturity, while service is a sign of maturity. Maturity is a key to obedience. And obedience is the proof that we really love God (John 14:23).
Life has taught me that when I am thinking only of myself I am usually discontent and unhappy. When I stop thinking about myself and put my attention on others, I find peace, joy, purpose and fulfillment. I will leave you with a quote that has inspired me to continue to serve others.
I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother, and I found all three (Author Unknown). Only when I serve others do I truly discover God, myself and the blessing of others.
In this passage of scripture Jesus is explaining to his disciples the type of death he would suffer and how he would rise again to life. You would think that they would have been sympathetic and compassionate to Jesus. They should have been burdened with the fact that the one they had left all to follow was about to die. It seems logical that they would ask Jesus if there was something they could have done for him. If nothing else, they should have been more inquisitive about Jesus rising from the dead.
Instead, listen to the request of James and John in Mark 10:35-37. (35) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” (36) What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. (37) They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
Amazing! Someone tells you they are about to be killed and you make a selfish request. This is exactly what James and John did. Based upon their request, I don’t think they even heard a word of what Jesus had said to them. Sure, they listened, but did they really hear? When you think only about yourself, you are deaf and blind to the needs of those around you. Serving is one of the ways we get selfishness out of our lives.
Many of you know I have two boys, Josiah (5) and Ethan (3). Because they are the only grandchildren in the Miller and Milbuta families, they are blessed with many toys. Every morning, without exception, they fight over one toy. Whatever toy Josiah has, Ethan wants. Whatever toy Ethan has, Josiah wants. Their disputes remind me that selfishness is a sign of immaturity, while service is a sign of maturity. Maturity is a key to obedience. And obedience is the proof that we really love God (John 14:23).
Life has taught me that when I am thinking only of myself I am usually discontent and unhappy. When I stop thinking about myself and put my attention on others, I find peace, joy, purpose and fulfillment. I will leave you with a quote that has inspired me to continue to serve others.
I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother, and I found all three (Author Unknown). Only when I serve others do I truly discover God, myself and the blessing of others.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Deceptive Thinking Leads Us Down the Road of Destruction (Part 5)
Why in the world would a successful musician adored by so many fans kill himself? And why would teenagers kill themselves over Cobain's death? Remember, this is just what the enemy desires for mankind. He especially delights in the death of young ones.
This story is an example of privitization. Privitization is the socially required and legally enforced separation of our private lives and our public personas; in effect, privitization mandates that isssues of ultimate meaning be relegated to our private spheres. In the name of non-offensiveness, religion is privatized and relegated to the home, while in the name of freedom all kinds of indecencies and abondonments are made public. The deceptive philosophy of privitization leaves us with no point of reference for life's coherence. When we have no point of reference for life's coherence, we lose our sense of meaning. When we lose our sense of meaning, we kill ourselves.
Privitization causes us to neglect our responsibility to take the gospel into every sphere of society. As a result, the gospel of grunge was the dominant message of the 90's. Because of this, Cobain never got to hear about or experience the God of life. His despair was endless and his god was nameless. He lived in a music culture that was unreached by the good news of Jesus Christ.
God made us in his image and likeness. When the Spirit of God comes into our hearts, our spirit cries out to God as our Father. Only by knowing God as our Father can we truly discover who we are and find meaning in life. I wonder how different Cobain's life and lyrics would have been if he would have known God as His Father and Jesus as the way, the truth and the life?
Unfortunately, he did not. As a result, Kurt Donald Cobain lived a life marked by depression, anger, fear and despair. His songs offered no hope to a lost and hurting world. He never knew the God of peace who could have guarded his heart and renewed his mind in Christ Jesus.
Our sense of meaning and the fulfillment of our mission to take the gospel into all the world is a matter of life and death. My prayer is that we will take the good news of Jesus into every sphere of culture. I believe that as we do this, people like Cobain, will find true meaning in life and use their talents to glorify God and testify of his goodness.
This story is an example of privitization. Privitization is the socially required and legally enforced separation of our private lives and our public personas; in effect, privitization mandates that isssues of ultimate meaning be relegated to our private spheres. In the name of non-offensiveness, religion is privatized and relegated to the home, while in the name of freedom all kinds of indecencies and abondonments are made public. The deceptive philosophy of privitization leaves us with no point of reference for life's coherence. When we have no point of reference for life's coherence, we lose our sense of meaning. When we lose our sense of meaning, we kill ourselves.
Privitization causes us to neglect our responsibility to take the gospel into every sphere of society. As a result, the gospel of grunge was the dominant message of the 90's. Because of this, Cobain never got to hear about or experience the God of life. His despair was endless and his god was nameless. He lived in a music culture that was unreached by the good news of Jesus Christ.
God made us in his image and likeness. When the Spirit of God comes into our hearts, our spirit cries out to God as our Father. Only by knowing God as our Father can we truly discover who we are and find meaning in life. I wonder how different Cobain's life and lyrics would have been if he would have known God as His Father and Jesus as the way, the truth and the life?
Unfortunately, he did not. As a result, Kurt Donald Cobain lived a life marked by depression, anger, fear and despair. His songs offered no hope to a lost and hurting world. He never knew the God of peace who could have guarded his heart and renewed his mind in Christ Jesus.
Our sense of meaning and the fulfillment of our mission to take the gospel into all the world is a matter of life and death. My prayer is that we will take the good news of Jesus into every sphere of culture. I believe that as we do this, people like Cobain, will find true meaning in life and use their talents to glorify God and testify of his goodness.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Deceptive Thinking Leads Us Down the Road of Destruction (Part 4)
I spent my teen years growing up in the 80's. The 80's, like every decade, were very peculiar. I can't believe how we used to dress and how we used to style our hair. I had a "flyback" hair style with a "mullet" tail in the back. I laugh when I think about it. However, what is more funny is the fact that the hairdo use to be in style. Another defining mark of the 80's was its music. It is truly the decade of "one hit wonders". Remember "867-5309"? How about "In a Big Country"? And we will never forget "Come on, Eileen". The music of the 80's was fun and feel good.
Another sound began to arise at the end of the 80's. It was called "grunge". If the 80's were marked by music that made you feel good, the 90's were marked by a sound of anger and despair. One of the defining songs of the 90's was a song called "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam. The song was about a kid who commited a violent act in his classroom. The song tells us that the kid was not only picked on by his peers, but also abandoned by his parents.
One of the most popular bands of the 90's was a group called Nirvana. Kurt Donald Cobain was the leader of Nirvana, the multi-platinum grunge band that redefined the sound of the nineties. Cobain's parent's divorced when he was seven and by his own account Cobain said he never felt loved or secure again. He became increasingly difficult, anti-social and withdrawn after his parent's divorce. Cobain also said that his parent's traumatic split fueled a lot of the anguish in Nirvana's music.
On April 7th in 1994, at the peak of his success, Kurt Donald Cobain committed suicide. When police broke down the door they found Cobain dead on the floor, a shotgun still pointed at his chin and on a nearby counter a suicide note written in red ink addressed to his wife and the couples then 19 month old daughter Frances Bean.
The suicide note ended with the words "I love you, I love you." Two days after Kurt Cobain's body was found about 5,000 people gathered in Seattle for a candlelight vigil. the distraught crowd filled the air with profane chants, burnt their flannel shirts and fought with police. They also listened to a tape made by Cobain's wife in which she read from his suicide note. Several distressed teenagers in the U.S. and Australia killed themselves. The mainstream media was lambasted for it's lack of respect and understanding of youth culture (Mick Ronson).
Stay tuned for Part 5. In the mean time, give me your thoughts on why Cobain killed himself and why so many teenagers imitated his suicide.
Another sound began to arise at the end of the 80's. It was called "grunge". If the 80's were marked by music that made you feel good, the 90's were marked by a sound of anger and despair. One of the defining songs of the 90's was a song called "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam. The song was about a kid who commited a violent act in his classroom. The song tells us that the kid was not only picked on by his peers, but also abandoned by his parents.
One of the most popular bands of the 90's was a group called Nirvana. Kurt Donald Cobain was the leader of Nirvana, the multi-platinum grunge band that redefined the sound of the nineties. Cobain's parent's divorced when he was seven and by his own account Cobain said he never felt loved or secure again. He became increasingly difficult, anti-social and withdrawn after his parent's divorce. Cobain also said that his parent's traumatic split fueled a lot of the anguish in Nirvana's music.
On April 7th in 1994, at the peak of his success, Kurt Donald Cobain committed suicide. When police broke down the door they found Cobain dead on the floor, a shotgun still pointed at his chin and on a nearby counter a suicide note written in red ink addressed to his wife and the couples then 19 month old daughter Frances Bean.
The suicide note ended with the words "I love you, I love you." Two days after Kurt Cobain's body was found about 5,000 people gathered in Seattle for a candlelight vigil. the distraught crowd filled the air with profane chants, burnt their flannel shirts and fought with police. They also listened to a tape made by Cobain's wife in which she read from his suicide note. Several distressed teenagers in the U.S. and Australia killed themselves. The mainstream media was lambasted for it's lack of respect and understanding of youth culture (Mick Ronson).
Stay tuned for Part 5. In the mean time, give me your thoughts on why Cobain killed himself and why so many teenagers imitated his suicide.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Deceptive Thinking Leads Us Down the Road of Destruction (Part 3)
In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus made the boldest statement ever recorded in human history. He said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." As the Messiah, Jesus was saying the way to know God would only be discovered by being in relationship with him. One of the points that makes Christianity different from every other religion is the fact that God came to earth in the form of a human named Jesus. Not only did he reveal himself to humanity, but he gave his life to change humanity forever. God came to us and revealed himself as the source of truth for every person.
One of the great challenges we face in the world today is finding truth in the midst of many different religious beliefs, philosophies and worldviews. Who is right and who is wrong? It seems the only sin today is to say that someone's system of belief is incorrect. Are all religions, philosophies and worldviews basically the same? Are all religions, philosophies and worldviews harmless? The answer is no. To believe that they are all basically the same is not only deceptive, but it is also destructive. This type of thinking is called pluralization.
Pluralization is the existence and availability of a number of world-views, each vying for the allegiance of individuals, with no single world-view dominant. When we try to set up a pluralistic society, we have no point of reference for rationality. To be rational you must begin with truth. Truth is the staring part for all rational thinking. When we have no point of reference for rationality, we lose our sense of reason. Without reason, we will believe any teaching or do any activity to feel better about ourselves. Without a reference for rationality and without a sense of reason, we end up killing our neighbor. Remember, all deceptive thinking eventually leads to the destruction of people. This is just what the devil wants for humanity. The following are two examples of the effects of pluralization in our world today.
On September 11, 2001, people of a different religious belief and worldview brought destruction to America. Forever known as 9/11, this was truly one of the most shocking moments in American history. Here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, we watched buildings explode and burn from the crashing of American planes. The enemy had attacked, but this time it was not from across the seas. They were trained in the United States to fly the planes they would eventually use to kill a multitude of people in our country. What was even more perplexing was the fact that the enemy was now our neighbor.
Last year in France, people of a different religious belief and worldview caused one of the most violent uprisings in the recent history of the continent. Once again, these were home-grown terrorists who were causing all of the destruction. It is another picture of neighbors killing neighbors. According to a November 19, 2005 aritcle in World Magazine, the adversity between the young angry Muslim youth and the French government might turn France into an Islamic-type state, or two states. One would be ruled by French law, with extraterritorial entities ruled by Islamic laws. What will it be like for neighbors living next to each other governed by a whole different system of laws, religious beliefs and worldviews.? History has proven that it always leads to the killing of one another.
What we believe is a matter of life and death! Jesus, the way, the truth and the life, taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second commandment, which flows out of the first, is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). How different would the world be if we followed Jesus' way, the truth that he taught and lived life according to his example? He demonstrated his worldview to his neighbor by being crucified on a cross instead of crashing planes into a building. Jesus' cross brings redemption and reconciliation.
Stay tuned for part 4.
One of the great challenges we face in the world today is finding truth in the midst of many different religious beliefs, philosophies and worldviews. Who is right and who is wrong? It seems the only sin today is to say that someone's system of belief is incorrect. Are all religions, philosophies and worldviews basically the same? Are all religions, philosophies and worldviews harmless? The answer is no. To believe that they are all basically the same is not only deceptive, but it is also destructive. This type of thinking is called pluralization.
Pluralization is the existence and availability of a number of world-views, each vying for the allegiance of individuals, with no single world-view dominant. When we try to set up a pluralistic society, we have no point of reference for rationality. To be rational you must begin with truth. Truth is the staring part for all rational thinking. When we have no point of reference for rationality, we lose our sense of reason. Without reason, we will believe any teaching or do any activity to feel better about ourselves. Without a reference for rationality and without a sense of reason, we end up killing our neighbor. Remember, all deceptive thinking eventually leads to the destruction of people. This is just what the devil wants for humanity. The following are two examples of the effects of pluralization in our world today.
On September 11, 2001, people of a different religious belief and worldview brought destruction to America. Forever known as 9/11, this was truly one of the most shocking moments in American history. Here in the land of the free and the home of the brave, we watched buildings explode and burn from the crashing of American planes. The enemy had attacked, but this time it was not from across the seas. They were trained in the United States to fly the planes they would eventually use to kill a multitude of people in our country. What was even more perplexing was the fact that the enemy was now our neighbor.
Last year in France, people of a different religious belief and worldview caused one of the most violent uprisings in the recent history of the continent. Once again, these were home-grown terrorists who were causing all of the destruction. It is another picture of neighbors killing neighbors. According to a November 19, 2005 aritcle in World Magazine, the adversity between the young angry Muslim youth and the French government might turn France into an Islamic-type state, or two states. One would be ruled by French law, with extraterritorial entities ruled by Islamic laws. What will it be like for neighbors living next to each other governed by a whole different system of laws, religious beliefs and worldviews.? History has proven that it always leads to the killing of one another.
What we believe is a matter of life and death! Jesus, the way, the truth and the life, taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second commandment, which flows out of the first, is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). How different would the world be if we followed Jesus' way, the truth that he taught and lived life according to his example? He demonstrated his worldview to his neighbor by being crucified on a cross instead of crashing planes into a building. Jesus' cross brings redemption and reconciliation.
Stay tuned for part 4.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Deceptive Thinking Leads Us Down the Road of Destruction (Part 2)
One of the main ways we are deceived is through the worldviews, mindsets and philosophies of our age. Paul exhorts the church at Colosse in Colossians 2:8 saying, "See to it that no one takes you captive through the hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." I want to examine three main systems of thought that are deceiving us today: secularism, pluralization and privitization. Remember all deceptive philosophies lead to a broken relationship with God and systems of belief that cause us to destroy one another. This is just what the devil desires...our destruction.
Secularism is the process by which religious ideas, institutions, and interpretations have lost thier social significance. As we become less and less Christian in our thinking, we ultimately turn to worship of self. This is what led to the downfall of the Roman Empire. They began to worship the human body and as a result, engaged in sexually immorality and perversion. This quest for self-worship led to the secularist belief that "man is the measure of all things." When we believe man is the measure of all things, we will do anything to fulfill our own desires. When we think like a secularist, we have no point of reference for decency. When we lose our point of reference for decency, we will engage in any activity with no sense of shame.
Some of the indecent acts we engage in include exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones (homosexuality and lesbianism) and murder. If fully participated in both these practices could lead to the extermination of the human race. Again, this is just what the enemy would want. (Please read Romans 1:18-32)
Secularism, with its philosophy that man is the measure of all things, will deceive a person into doing anything for their self-fulfillment. When Eve ate the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." Her own hunger, pleasure and wisdom was more valuable to her than pleasing God by obeying his command. Her disobedience led to her eventual death. God truly knows what is best for us.
With no sense of shame we kill the ones we love to satisfy our own selfish desires. A recent example of a secularist mindset being acted out was the murder of Laci Peterson by her husband Scott. How could a man do this to his wife? Where does this type of behavior come from? After all, they were married and expecting a baby. I'm sure they thought they loved one another. However, Scott's lust and pride, his desire for self-gratification with another woman led to him killing the one he loved. Secularist thinking, played out to its logical conclusion, will always lead to the hurting or killing of others for our own personal gain.
Stay tuned for part 3.
Secularism is the process by which religious ideas, institutions, and interpretations have lost thier social significance. As we become less and less Christian in our thinking, we ultimately turn to worship of self. This is what led to the downfall of the Roman Empire. They began to worship the human body and as a result, engaged in sexually immorality and perversion. This quest for self-worship led to the secularist belief that "man is the measure of all things." When we believe man is the measure of all things, we will do anything to fulfill our own desires. When we think like a secularist, we have no point of reference for decency. When we lose our point of reference for decency, we will engage in any activity with no sense of shame.
Some of the indecent acts we engage in include exchanging natural relations for unnatural ones (homosexuality and lesbianism) and murder. If fully participated in both these practices could lead to the extermination of the human race. Again, this is just what the enemy would want. (Please read Romans 1:18-32)
Secularism, with its philosophy that man is the measure of all things, will deceive a person into doing anything for their self-fulfillment. When Eve ate the forbidden fruit, Genesis 3:6 says, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." Her own hunger, pleasure and wisdom was more valuable to her than pleasing God by obeying his command. Her disobedience led to her eventual death. God truly knows what is best for us.
With no sense of shame we kill the ones we love to satisfy our own selfish desires. A recent example of a secularist mindset being acted out was the murder of Laci Peterson by her husband Scott. How could a man do this to his wife? Where does this type of behavior come from? After all, they were married and expecting a baby. I'm sure they thought they loved one another. However, Scott's lust and pride, his desire for self-gratification with another woman led to him killing the one he loved. Secularist thinking, played out to its logical conclusion, will always lead to the hurting or killing of others for our own personal gain.
Stay tuned for part 3.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Deceptive Thinking Leads Us Down the Road of Destruction (Part 1)
Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (14) But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth saying, "(18) Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. (19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness:, (20) and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." 1 Corinthians 3:18-20
As human beings, we must face the fact that we are susceptible to deception. It seems that we are most vulnerable to deception when we think that we know all the answers. In other words, when our hearts are full of pride, we are in an ideal state to be deceived. In a prophecy against the King of Tyre, the Lord says in Ezekiel 28:2, "In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god , though you think you are as wise as a god." As you read further in the chapter, God allows destruction to come upon them in the form of foreign enemies to wake them up to the reality of their deceptive thinking.
Not only are we susceptible to deception, but we have an enemy who tries to deceive us. In one of the most famous stories in history, the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis, we are told how the serpent deceived Eve. Genesis 3:13 says, "Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The devil's ultimate goal is to deceive us and lead us into disobedience of God's laws and commands. Not only do we offend God when we disobey, but we ultimately hurt ourselves.
Our pain and destruction is just what the enemy wants. God created us in His image and likeness, and in doing so, he literally gave us what the devil always wanted. The devil always wanted to be like God. That is one of the main reasons the devil wants to destroy us. We have what he wants, the image and likeness of God.
In his pride, the devil thought he could become God and rebelled against Him. Later in chapter 27 of Ezekiel, which many theologians believe is prophetic insight about the devil, we get a greater understanding of what he looked like and what he was thinking before God threw him out of heaven. Ezekiel 28:17 specifically says, "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
The devil tempts us today in the same way. Through deceptive thinking, humans begin to deify themselves and as a result always end up devaluing God. In Genesis 3:4 the serpent tells Eve, "You will not surely die," "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The greatest deception for humanity is to try and become like God in our own wisdom and strength.
Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, understood how even he needed divine help to overcome deception. He wrote in Proverbs 29:7-8, "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: (8) Keep falsehood and lies far from me." One of the two things Solomon asked God for was to keep him from deception.
Stay tuned for part 2.
Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth saying, "(18) Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. (19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness:, (20) and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." 1 Corinthians 3:18-20
As human beings, we must face the fact that we are susceptible to deception. It seems that we are most vulnerable to deception when we think that we know all the answers. In other words, when our hearts are full of pride, we are in an ideal state to be deceived. In a prophecy against the King of Tyre, the Lord says in Ezekiel 28:2, "In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god , though you think you are as wise as a god." As you read further in the chapter, God allows destruction to come upon them in the form of foreign enemies to wake them up to the reality of their deceptive thinking.
Not only are we susceptible to deception, but we have an enemy who tries to deceive us. In one of the most famous stories in history, the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis, we are told how the serpent deceived Eve. Genesis 3:13 says, "Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What have you done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The devil's ultimate goal is to deceive us and lead us into disobedience of God's laws and commands. Not only do we offend God when we disobey, but we ultimately hurt ourselves.
Our pain and destruction is just what the enemy wants. God created us in His image and likeness, and in doing so, he literally gave us what the devil always wanted. The devil always wanted to be like God. That is one of the main reasons the devil wants to destroy us. We have what he wants, the image and likeness of God.
In his pride, the devil thought he could become God and rebelled against Him. Later in chapter 27 of Ezekiel, which many theologians believe is prophetic insight about the devil, we get a greater understanding of what he looked like and what he was thinking before God threw him out of heaven. Ezekiel 28:17 specifically says, "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
The devil tempts us today in the same way. Through deceptive thinking, humans begin to deify themselves and as a result always end up devaluing God. In Genesis 3:4 the serpent tells Eve, "You will not surely die," "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The greatest deception for humanity is to try and become like God in our own wisdom and strength.
Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, understood how even he needed divine help to overcome deception. He wrote in Proverbs 29:7-8, "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: (8) Keep falsehood and lies far from me." One of the two things Solomon asked God for was to keep him from deception.
Stay tuned for part 2.
Monday, February 20, 2006
The Three Major Worldviews
I hope you are enjoying Dennis Miller's book, "Discipling Nations", The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures. I think he does an incredible job articulating how people view the world. The following is his explanation of the three major worldviews found on pages 40 and 41 of his book. If you are not reading this book, I hope it wets your appetite to purchase the book and begin reading it.
All worldviews can be found somewhere along a continuum, with secularism and animism at either end and theism in the middle.
While secularism goes back to the ancients, its modern roots were planted in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe. Secularism sees reality as ultimately physical and thus focuses on the unity of nature. Darwin, one of the great high priests of secularism, believed that life is the result of the interactions of matter and energy, time and chance. Secularists affirm that truth is empirical. Truth is what senses can perceive. Morals are relative. Values emerge from social consensus. As a religion, secularism is pantheistic, since it equates god with the laws of the universe. The cry of the secularist might be, "Everything is God!" This is philosophical materialism. Matter is the only and fundamental reality; all being, processes, and phenomena are explained as manifestations of matter. During the Enlightment these ideas received the label "secular humanism."
Theism is rooted in the ancient Near East. Theism sees ultimate reality as personal and relational. God exists. He created a universe of physical and spiritual dimensions, seen and unseen worlds. Truth, as revealed by God, is objective and can be known by man. God's character establishes absolute morals. Theism holds to one personal-infinite God, the great "I AM" of Scripture. Philosophical theism believes that the one God created man and the world. God transcends the world yet is immanent in it.
Animism (including its modern for, the New Age) is rooted in the Far East and the world's folk religions. Animism sees ultimate reality as spiritual. Spirits animate everything, and everything moves toward oneness of spirit. The real world is unseen, truth is hidden and irrational, all is mystery. While filled with evil, the universe is basicaly amoral. Monistic, animism asserts that there is only one kind of ultimate substance. The animist might cry, "All is one!" This is philosophical idealism, which maintains that ultimate reality lies in a realm that transcends worldly phenomena; essentially, reality is consciousness.
All worldviews can be found somewhere along a continuum, with secularism and animism at either end and theism in the middle.
While secularism goes back to the ancients, its modern roots were planted in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe. Secularism sees reality as ultimately physical and thus focuses on the unity of nature. Darwin, one of the great high priests of secularism, believed that life is the result of the interactions of matter and energy, time and chance. Secularists affirm that truth is empirical. Truth is what senses can perceive. Morals are relative. Values emerge from social consensus. As a religion, secularism is pantheistic, since it equates god with the laws of the universe. The cry of the secularist might be, "Everything is God!" This is philosophical materialism. Matter is the only and fundamental reality; all being, processes, and phenomena are explained as manifestations of matter. During the Enlightment these ideas received the label "secular humanism."
Theism is rooted in the ancient Near East. Theism sees ultimate reality as personal and relational. God exists. He created a universe of physical and spiritual dimensions, seen and unseen worlds. Truth, as revealed by God, is objective and can be known by man. God's character establishes absolute morals. Theism holds to one personal-infinite God, the great "I AM" of Scripture. Philosophical theism believes that the one God created man and the world. God transcends the world yet is immanent in it.
Animism (including its modern for, the New Age) is rooted in the Far East and the world's folk religions. Animism sees ultimate reality as spiritual. Spirits animate everything, and everything moves toward oneness of spirit. The real world is unseen, truth is hidden and irrational, all is mystery. While filled with evil, the universe is basicaly amoral. Monistic, animism asserts that there is only one kind of ultimate substance. The animist might cry, "All is one!" This is philosophical idealism, which maintains that ultimate reality lies in a realm that transcends worldly phenomena; essentially, reality is consciousness.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Asking the Right Questions, Finding the Right Answers
The disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:1-4) I am learning that one of the keys to discovering truth is the ability to ask the right questions. It is interesting to note from this passage of scripture that the disciples asked "who is the greatest?" instead of "what does it take to be the greatest?" They were more interested in personal gain than personal integrity. Jesus, in his astute way, exposed the motives of their heart. Greatness is never attained by entitlement, position, or proper association, it is attained through humility.
Many of you know I have a five year old boy named Josiah. He is such a joy to raise. This stage of fatherhood has been such a pleasure for me. I love spending time with Josiah. Everytime we are together he is always asking me a ton of questions. He has such a hunger to learn. I believe he asks me so many questions for three main reasons. First, he does not know the answer to the question. Second, he trusts his father. And third, he thinks I know the answer.
Sometimes his questions are silly or selfish. I must admit, these questions can be a little annoying at times. Quite often, he is seeking truth and understanding when he asks me questions. I love when he asks me "truth seeking" questions. It is a great joy to impart wisdom and instruction to him. I believe our heavenly Father loves to do the same for us. The important thing is to ask the right questions.
The gospels are full of Jesus' teaching and instruction. However, Jesus also asked questions to many people. As the omniscient God, was Jesus really looking for the answer? No. I believe he was teaching his disciples to ask the right questions. My favorite is when he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13) There is no more important or "right" question that will ever be asked on planet earth. All truth, wisdom and understanding begins with knowing Jesus. Truth can only be discovered by asking the right questions.
It is also important to get the right answers from the questions we ask. In order to know Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Peter got his answer from the Father in heaven (Matthew 16:16). All people ask basically the same questions. The answers they get, however, are radically different depending on the person's worldview. According to Darrow L. Miller in "Discipling Nations", all men ask questions from three main categories: epistemological, metaphysical and moral.
Epistemological questions concern themselves with the nature, limits, and validity of knowledge. "Is there truth?" "What can I know?" and "How can I know?" are examples of the kinds of fundamental questions from which all others spring.
Metaphysical questions concern themselves with the fundamental nature of reality and being. They include "What is ultimate reality?" "Is there a God?" "What is the essence of nature and of time?" The disciplines of metaphysics include ontology (the study of being), cosmology (the study of nature and the universe), and teleology (the study of purposes).
Moral questions cover values, ethics, and morals in general and the problem of evil in particular. "Is ther right and wrong?" What is good?" "What is beautiful?" and "Where did evil come from?" are examples. This field of study is known as axiology, meaning the study of worth.
The way people and societies answer these questions determines the types of cultures and societies they create. Some answers to these questions lead to poverty, barbarism and slavery; others, to prosperity, peace, freedom and civilization.
Your homework assignment for February is to read "Discipling Nations" by Darrow L. Miller. No, we are not related. Yes, we are both brilliant. Ha Ha!!! Hope you enjoy. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
Many of you know I have a five year old boy named Josiah. He is such a joy to raise. This stage of fatherhood has been such a pleasure for me. I love spending time with Josiah. Everytime we are together he is always asking me a ton of questions. He has such a hunger to learn. I believe he asks me so many questions for three main reasons. First, he does not know the answer to the question. Second, he trusts his father. And third, he thinks I know the answer.
Sometimes his questions are silly or selfish. I must admit, these questions can be a little annoying at times. Quite often, he is seeking truth and understanding when he asks me questions. I love when he asks me "truth seeking" questions. It is a great joy to impart wisdom and instruction to him. I believe our heavenly Father loves to do the same for us. The important thing is to ask the right questions.
The gospels are full of Jesus' teaching and instruction. However, Jesus also asked questions to many people. As the omniscient God, was Jesus really looking for the answer? No. I believe he was teaching his disciples to ask the right questions. My favorite is when he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13) There is no more important or "right" question that will ever be asked on planet earth. All truth, wisdom and understanding begins with knowing Jesus. Truth can only be discovered by asking the right questions.
It is also important to get the right answers from the questions we ask. In order to know Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Peter got his answer from the Father in heaven (Matthew 16:16). All people ask basically the same questions. The answers they get, however, are radically different depending on the person's worldview. According to Darrow L. Miller in "Discipling Nations", all men ask questions from three main categories: epistemological, metaphysical and moral.
Epistemological questions concern themselves with the nature, limits, and validity of knowledge. "Is there truth?" "What can I know?" and "How can I know?" are examples of the kinds of fundamental questions from which all others spring.
Metaphysical questions concern themselves with the fundamental nature of reality and being. They include "What is ultimate reality?" "Is there a God?" "What is the essence of nature and of time?" The disciplines of metaphysics include ontology (the study of being), cosmology (the study of nature and the universe), and teleology (the study of purposes).
Moral questions cover values, ethics, and morals in general and the problem of evil in particular. "Is ther right and wrong?" What is good?" "What is beautiful?" and "Where did evil come from?" are examples. This field of study is known as axiology, meaning the study of worth.
The way people and societies answer these questions determines the types of cultures and societies they create. Some answers to these questions lead to poverty, barbarism and slavery; others, to prosperity, peace, freedom and civilization.
Your homework assignment for February is to read "Discipling Nations" by Darrow L. Miller. No, we are not related. Yes, we are both brilliant. Ha Ha!!! Hope you enjoy. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
Monday, January 23, 2006
Why Does Your Worldview Matter?
James W. Sire and Darrow L. Miller define worldview as, "a set of assumptions held consciously or unconsciously in faith about the basic makeup of the world and how the world works." Chuck Colson defines worldview as, "the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the "big-picture" that directs our daily decisions and actions." Understanding worldviews is extremely important because our major task in life is to discover what is true and to live in step with that truth.
Why is your worldview so important? Because the way we see the world can change the world. Apostle Paul, who is one of my favorite characters in the Bible, had a radical worldview adjustment. As he neared Damascus, on his way to imprison Christians, Paul was knocked to the ground by a light from heaven. As he was lying on the ground, the Lord Jesus spoke words of revelation and instruction to him. As Paul returned to his feet with new direction from the Lord, Acts 9:8 exposes something insightful to the reader. It says, "Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing."
How many people are walking around today with eyes wide open, but are blind to the will of God? Not only did Saul get a new heart and a new name, but he also got a new worldview. When he regained his vision after being blind for three days, Saul had a Godly mission in life. As a result, he went from being a church persecutor to becoming a church planter. Saul, now as Apostle Paul, would go on to plant some amazing churches and become a chief writer of the New Testament. His letters of love, encouragement, rebuke, instruction and wisdom to the churches he started are read by billions today. Every Christian church on the planet is directly influenced by Apostle Paul's worldview.
In "How Now Shall We Live", Chuck Colson teaches how to study worldview. Every worldview can be analyzed by the way it answers three basic questions: Where did we come from, and who are we (creation)? What has gone wrong with the world (fall)? And what can we do to fix it (redemption)? These three questions form a grid that we can use to break down the inner logic of every belief system or philosophy that we encounter, from the textbooks we read in the classrooms to the philosophies that shape the messages we hear on our favorite TV shows. This grid can be a powerful tool to help us frame a biblical worldview on any subject, from arts to athletics, from government to science, from family to eduction, from the marketplace to popular culture.
As disciples of Jesus, I pray the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven would be given to us. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance (Matthew 13:11-12). In Matthew 13:16, Jesus says, "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear." Like, Paul, James, Peter and John, I want to see the Lord and hear His words.
Stay tuned for a list of the different worldviews and a new homework assignment. I hope you are reading "How Now Shall We Live". If so, I am confident you are not only enjoying this book, but becoming better equipped to think like the Master. A mind is a terrible thing to waste! May God bless your study and devotion to Him.
Why is your worldview so important? Because the way we see the world can change the world. Apostle Paul, who is one of my favorite characters in the Bible, had a radical worldview adjustment. As he neared Damascus, on his way to imprison Christians, Paul was knocked to the ground by a light from heaven. As he was lying on the ground, the Lord Jesus spoke words of revelation and instruction to him. As Paul returned to his feet with new direction from the Lord, Acts 9:8 exposes something insightful to the reader. It says, "Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing."
How many people are walking around today with eyes wide open, but are blind to the will of God? Not only did Saul get a new heart and a new name, but he also got a new worldview. When he regained his vision after being blind for three days, Saul had a Godly mission in life. As a result, he went from being a church persecutor to becoming a church planter. Saul, now as Apostle Paul, would go on to plant some amazing churches and become a chief writer of the New Testament. His letters of love, encouragement, rebuke, instruction and wisdom to the churches he started are read by billions today. Every Christian church on the planet is directly influenced by Apostle Paul's worldview.
Chuck Colson states, "Renewal can occur when Christians are committed to living out their faith, seeing the world as God sees it, viewing reality through the lens of divine revelation. Our choices are shaped by what we believe is real and true, right and wrong, good and beautiful. Our choices are shaped by our worldview. Understanding Christianity as a total life system is absolutely essential for two reasons. First, it enables us to make sense of the world we live in and thus order our lives more rationally. Second, it enables us to understand forces hostile to our faith, equipping us to evangelize and to defend Christian truth as God's instruments for transforming culture."
In "How Now Shall We Live", Chuck Colson teaches how to study worldview. Every worldview can be analyzed by the way it answers three basic questions: Where did we come from, and who are we (creation)? What has gone wrong with the world (fall)? And what can we do to fix it (redemption)? These three questions form a grid that we can use to break down the inner logic of every belief system or philosophy that we encounter, from the textbooks we read in the classrooms to the philosophies that shape the messages we hear on our favorite TV shows. This grid can be a powerful tool to help us frame a biblical worldview on any subject, from arts to athletics, from government to science, from family to eduction, from the marketplace to popular culture.
As disciples of Jesus, I pray the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven would be given to us. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance (Matthew 13:11-12). In Matthew 13:16, Jesus says, "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear." Like, Paul, James, Peter and John, I want to see the Lord and hear His words.
Stay tuned for a list of the different worldviews and a new homework assignment. I hope you are reading "How Now Shall We Live". If so, I am confident you are not only enjoying this book, but becoming better equipped to think like the Master. A mind is a terrible thing to waste! May God bless your study and devotion to Him.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
No Neutral Ground!
Last year, I applied to the Centurions Program. I found out just before Christmas that I have been accepted to the program. The Centurions Program is developing and equipping an ongoing fellowship of Christian men and women trained by Chuck Colson and The Wilberforce Forum to restore our culture by effectively thinking, teaching, and advocating the Christian worldview as applied to all of life. So, my goal for 2006 is to share with you what I have been learning from this intensive worldview course. I want to encourage you to read "How Now Shall We Live" by Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcy in the month of January. I think it should be a required read for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. I am going to give you a suggested book to read for each month of 2006 to help you improve your worldview.
James W. Sire and Darrow L. Miller define worldview as, "a set of assumptions held consciously or unconsciously in faith about the basic makeup of the world and how the world works." Chuck Colson defines worldview as, "the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the "big-picture" that directs our daily decisions and actions." Understanding worldviews is extremely important because our major task in life is to discover what is true and to live in step with that truth.
Do you know that when it pertains to the advancement of God's kingdom, there is no neutral ground on planet earth? In fact as Chuck Colson says, "In every action we take, we are doing one of two things: we are either helping to create a hell on earth or helping to bring down a fortaste of heaven. We are either contributing to the broken condition of the world or participating with God in transforming the world to reflect his righteousness. We are either advancing the rule of Satan or establishing the reign of God." Which one are you doing?
That is why Apostle Paul referred to our life of faith as a fight. The greatest war since the beginning of time has been the battle for the hearts and minds of men and women. All external wars are a manifestation of the internal war of worldviews. We tend to blame God, but it is our deceptive thinking that leads to our destruction. Our decisions determine our destinies. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Jesus Christ.
The enemy has done a great job deceiving a multitude of people in our world. We, like Jesus, must fight this battle with the power of God's word. And no, I am not just talking about quoting scripture to people. We must know not only what our worldview is and why we believe it but also how to defend it. We must be able to identify and understand the strongholds and arguments (worldviews) that are opposing the truth, and discover why these worldviews are so prevalent today. Only then can we present the gospel in a language that can be understood. Only then can we defend truth in a way that is wise and persuasive. Only then will we be able to demolish these arguments (worldviews) by speaking what is true according to a Christian worldview, and articulating what is false about the contrasting worldview.
Whether you like it or not, you were born into a war-zone. Matthew 11:12 says, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it." It is true that the weapons of this world have been the main instruments throughout history used by civilizations to conquer and reign. The one with the most powerful sword is the one who gained the power to rule. What is amazing about Jesus is he did not conquer with the sword of man, but with the sword of His words. Instead of using external force to advance his kingdom, he used his words to change people. His sermons and teachings transformed hearts and renewed minds. We must do the same today.
Jesus timing was simply amazing. All the world had ever known up to the time of Christ was domination by external force. In fact, the Romans had conquered the world with the power of their sword. With Caesar as lord, there had never been a more commanding force on the planet. How could a carpenter with no army overthrow such a powerful kingdom? To the natural mind it makes no sense, but Jesus demonstrated that the way of God is foolish to those who think they are wise. Although the way and word of the Lord may be foolish to the wise of the world, history testifies that its power to convert and improve civilizations and cultures can not be denied.
Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (13) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Sharper than any double-dedged sword with the ability to penetrate to the very depth of a person's soul. What a weapon God has given us! We must be skilled to use it properly. As a mighty warrior, Jesus was the first to prove that the word is mightier than the sword.
If we are to win this war of worldviews, we must be trained and equipped to think like Jesus so we can act like Jesus. (1)In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: (2)Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2). I hope this blog has inspired you to think like Jesus. If so, stay tuned for further training and equipping my fellow soldier. (Are you out there? Please comment and let me know. I need the encouragement. A big thank you to those who comment. I enjoy reading your thoughts and treasure the feedback.)
James W. Sire and Darrow L. Miller define worldview as, "a set of assumptions held consciously or unconsciously in faith about the basic makeup of the world and how the world works." Chuck Colson defines worldview as, "the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the "big-picture" that directs our daily decisions and actions." Understanding worldviews is extremely important because our major task in life is to discover what is true and to live in step with that truth.
Do you know that when it pertains to the advancement of God's kingdom, there is no neutral ground on planet earth? In fact as Chuck Colson says, "In every action we take, we are doing one of two things: we are either helping to create a hell on earth or helping to bring down a fortaste of heaven. We are either contributing to the broken condition of the world or participating with God in transforming the world to reflect his righteousness. We are either advancing the rule of Satan or establishing the reign of God." Which one are you doing?
That is why Apostle Paul referred to our life of faith as a fight. The greatest war since the beginning of time has been the battle for the hearts and minds of men and women. All external wars are a manifestation of the internal war of worldviews. We tend to blame God, but it is our deceptive thinking that leads to our destruction. Our decisions determine our destinies. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Jesus Christ.
The enemy has done a great job deceiving a multitude of people in our world. We, like Jesus, must fight this battle with the power of God's word. And no, I am not just talking about quoting scripture to people. We must know not only what our worldview is and why we believe it but also how to defend it. We must be able to identify and understand the strongholds and arguments (worldviews) that are opposing the truth, and discover why these worldviews are so prevalent today. Only then can we present the gospel in a language that can be understood. Only then can we defend truth in a way that is wise and persuasive. Only then will we be able to demolish these arguments (worldviews) by speaking what is true according to a Christian worldview, and articulating what is false about the contrasting worldview.
Whether you like it or not, you were born into a war-zone. Matthew 11:12 says, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it." It is true that the weapons of this world have been the main instruments throughout history used by civilizations to conquer and reign. The one with the most powerful sword is the one who gained the power to rule. What is amazing about Jesus is he did not conquer with the sword of man, but with the sword of His words. Instead of using external force to advance his kingdom, he used his words to change people. His sermons and teachings transformed hearts and renewed minds. We must do the same today.
Jesus timing was simply amazing. All the world had ever known up to the time of Christ was domination by external force. In fact, the Romans had conquered the world with the power of their sword. With Caesar as lord, there had never been a more commanding force on the planet. How could a carpenter with no army overthrow such a powerful kingdom? To the natural mind it makes no sense, but Jesus demonstrated that the way of God is foolish to those who think they are wise. Although the way and word of the Lord may be foolish to the wise of the world, history testifies that its power to convert and improve civilizations and cultures can not be denied.
Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (13) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Sharper than any double-dedged sword with the ability to penetrate to the very depth of a person's soul. What a weapon God has given us! We must be skilled to use it properly. As a mighty warrior, Jesus was the first to prove that the word is mightier than the sword.
If we are to win this war of worldviews, we must be trained and equipped to think like Jesus so we can act like Jesus. (1)In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: (2)Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2). I hope this blog has inspired you to think like Jesus. If so, stay tuned for further training and equipping my fellow soldier. (Are you out there? Please comment and let me know. I need the encouragement. A big thank you to those who comment. I enjoy reading your thoughts and treasure the feedback.)
Sunday, January 01, 2006
In The Presence of a King and Father Don't Ask For Small Gifts!
Well, it has been a week since Christmas 2005. Can you believe it is already 2006? I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day. I’m sure you had fun giving and receiving gifts with family and friends. Did you find it more rewarding to give a gift or receive one? In Acts 20:35 Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Is it? Did you receive what you asked for? Did you ask for things you wanted or things you needed? There is one gift that I ask for everyday, not just on Christmas.
This gift I ask my Father for everyday is the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:11-13 says, “11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
As a father of two sons, I love to give my boys gifts. They are not a bit bashful about asking for what they want. Trips to Wal-Mart are quite interesting. I do not give my boys everything they ask for. However, I do give to them what they need. Something magical happens in my heart when they ask me for something they need. Without exception, I give it to them. Whether it’s a glass of milk or a drink of juice, I love to meet their needs. Believe it or not, I will even get out of bed at 3:00am to get them a drink. That is a miracle. Love will cause you to do amazing things.
Luke 11:11-13 reminds us that if earthly fathers love to give gifts to their children, how much more does our heavenly Father love to give us the Holy Spirit. Since this is true, I am astonished at how many Christians don’t possess the Holy Spirit in abundance. Just as my boys need their daily dose of juice, we need are daily filling of the Holy Spirit.
There is an essential factor to my boys receiving their gifts of need. They have to ask. The same is true if we are to receive more of the Holy Spirit. Asking for something is an act of humility. First, it requires us to admit we are needy. Second, it requires us to admit we cannot provide everything for ourselves. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we would just humble ourselves, admit we are needy, and ask God, we would receive more of His Spirit.
In Matthew 5:6 Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Because he is thirsty, when my two year old wakes up in the morning, the first word out of his mouth is, “juice”. Every morning he gets his juice because he asks his parents. As a child, he knows he has to get his thirst satisfied daily. He does not rely on yesterday’s cup. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3-4, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like his child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” I have learned that as a child of God, no matter how old I am, I need to humble myself and ask my Father for the Holy Spirit. I too cannot rely on yesterday’s filling. My first words to the Father in the morning are “Holy Spirit”.
People often tell me that I am a positive person. My source of strength comes from my daily filling of God’s Spirit. As I stand in His presence, I know I need everything that my Father has to give. I ask for it all. To further hammer home my point, I hope you enjoy this story about Arnold Palmer.
Golfer Arnold Palmer once played a series of exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia. The king was so impressed that he proposed to give Palmer a gift. Palmer demurred; "It really isn't necessary, Your Highness. I'm honored to have been invited."
"I would be deeply upset," replied the king, "if you would not allow me to give you a gift."
Palmer thought for a moment and said, "All right. How about a golf club? That would be a beautiful momento of my visit to your country."
The next day, delivered to Palmer's hotel, was the title to a golf club. Thousands of acres, trees, lakes, clubhouse, and so forth.
The moral of this story is: In the presence of a King, don't ask for small gifts!
This gift I ask my Father for everyday is the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:11-13 says, “11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
As a father of two sons, I love to give my boys gifts. They are not a bit bashful about asking for what they want. Trips to Wal-Mart are quite interesting. I do not give my boys everything they ask for. However, I do give to them what they need. Something magical happens in my heart when they ask me for something they need. Without exception, I give it to them. Whether it’s a glass of milk or a drink of juice, I love to meet their needs. Believe it or not, I will even get out of bed at 3:00am to get them a drink. That is a miracle. Love will cause you to do amazing things.
Luke 11:11-13 reminds us that if earthly fathers love to give gifts to their children, how much more does our heavenly Father love to give us the Holy Spirit. Since this is true, I am astonished at how many Christians don’t possess the Holy Spirit in abundance. Just as my boys need their daily dose of juice, we need are daily filling of the Holy Spirit.
There is an essential factor to my boys receiving their gifts of need. They have to ask. The same is true if we are to receive more of the Holy Spirit. Asking for something is an act of humility. First, it requires us to admit we are needy. Second, it requires us to admit we cannot provide everything for ourselves. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we would just humble ourselves, admit we are needy, and ask God, we would receive more of His Spirit.
In Matthew 5:6 Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Because he is thirsty, when my two year old wakes up in the morning, the first word out of his mouth is, “juice”. Every morning he gets his juice because he asks his parents. As a child, he knows he has to get his thirst satisfied daily. He does not rely on yesterday’s cup. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3-4, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like his child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” I have learned that as a child of God, no matter how old I am, I need to humble myself and ask my Father for the Holy Spirit. I too cannot rely on yesterday’s filling. My first words to the Father in the morning are “Holy Spirit”.
People often tell me that I am a positive person. My source of strength comes from my daily filling of God’s Spirit. As I stand in His presence, I know I need everything that my Father has to give. I ask for it all. To further hammer home my point, I hope you enjoy this story about Arnold Palmer.
Golfer Arnold Palmer once played a series of exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia. The king was so impressed that he proposed to give Palmer a gift. Palmer demurred; "It really isn't necessary, Your Highness. I'm honored to have been invited."
"I would be deeply upset," replied the king, "if you would not allow me to give you a gift."
Palmer thought for a moment and said, "All right. How about a golf club? That would be a beautiful momento of my visit to your country."
The next day, delivered to Palmer's hotel, was the title to a golf club. Thousands of acres, trees, lakes, clubhouse, and so forth.
The moral of this story is: In the presence of a King, don't ask for small gifts!
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